Saturday, January 15, 2000
UC to build better mouse
New line of mice sought for cancer research
BY TIM BONFIELD
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Forget the old phrase about building a better mousetrap. In cancer research, the goal is to build a better mouse.
The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine has received a five-year, $2.3 million grant to breed a line of mice that can mimic human development of cancers of the colon and pancreas. The animals would be used to test the risks and effectiveness of experimental cancer drugs.
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MEDICAL MICE
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Researchers at UC and Children's Hospital Medical Center have an extensive history in developing mouse models for medical research. In November, Drs. Stephen Liggett and Dennis McGraw reported they had developed an asthma-resistant mouse, which can breathe massive amounts of smog without suffering asthma attacks.
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UC's grant is part of a nationwide effort led by the National Cancer Institute to accelerate basic cancer research. In fact, 19 groups of scientists will be using special mice to study several leading types of cancer including lung, breast, prostate, ovary, skin, colon, brain and blood system cancers.
These research teams are forming the Mouse Models of Human Cancers Consortium. In contrast to the otherwise extremely competitive world of medical research, this group has agreed to share data among all its members. As a result, cancer research may be accelerated on multiple fronts, said Dr. Joanna Groden, a geneticist who will be leading UC's research.
For example, if one group develops a novel way to detect early-stage breast cancer in a mouse, the breakthrough may also help another team working on brain tumors.
Even with accelerated efforts, results from this project still will take several years to reach people with cancer, Dr. Groden said.
It can take two years to breed a colony of mice that show the genetic traits the scientists want. Only then can the mice be studied.
Researchers hope to trace genetic links that influence how tumors grow and spread, to develop more sophisticated imaging tools to spot tumors, and to find biomarkers in mice that can help predict whether people are likely to develop cancer.
UC has been increasing its cancer research on several fronts, including hiring a new cancer center director and opening a new lab for molecular research.
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